Local News

Albion teen is behind bars accused of attempting to murder his grandmother.
Orleans County Deputies have arrested 17 year old Brandon Foster of Albion on first degree felony counts of Attempted Murder, Burglary and Assault following an incident on Oak Orchard Road in Albion.
According to deputies, Foster broke into his grandmother’s house through a window Saturday night and tried to murder her.
Lawmen say he stabbed his grandmother while she slept then put her in a chokehold before stealing 23 dollars and her cell phone and fleeing the scene.
K-9 teams track the teen hiding behind the Albion Burger King where he was apprehended without incident.
The victim, Rachael Spearance was taken to Medina hospital then flown via Mercy Flight to ECMC where she is in stable condition.
Foster was jailed on $50,000 bail and is expected back in Albion Town court tomorrow morning.

Black Bear’s being spotted in Genesee County.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has reported a black bear sighting near Putnam and Francis Roads in Bethany just before 3 yesterday afternoon.
Over the weekend someone reported a young black bear wondering through a cornfield on Day Road in Alexander that was in close proximity the roadway.
Another bear was spotted in Attica last week.
Officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation say to never approach, surround, or corner a bear.
To never run from a bear and to use loud noise to scare away bears.

Orleans Emergency Management phone line outage fixed after going dark.
All emergency telephone lines were out of order yesterday afternoon in Orleans County along with all of the 9-1-1 and seven-digit administrative lines.
Orleans County Sheriff’s deputies say the outage has since been resolved and that all lines are restored however they did not provide a reason why the phone system was down.
They provided an additional number for emergencies at (585) 590-4171.

No meeting for Batavia’s Board of Education tonight.
The Batavia City Schools Board of Education have postponed their regular meeting for this evening moving it to next Tuesday night.
The will now meet July 17th in the District Administrative Conference Room at 6:30.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is heading to Yonkers later this morning for a rally on reproductive rights.
It comes a day after the governor signed an executive order that he says will allow women to choose and to get contraceptive care.
Cuomo is calling on the New York State Senate to pass legislation which aims to protect reproductive rights.
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan has said the bills would allow a woman to get an abortion late in the pregnancy, which he doesn’t support.

Muckdogs defeated by Spikes after splitting three game series.
The State College Spikes proved victorious over the Muckdogs at Dwyer Stadium last night with a win 3 to zip.
The Muckdogs take a night off then head east to face the Connecticut Tigers before returning home this Saturday for a three game stretch against the Lowell Spinners.

Brandon Foster

An Albion teenager is accused of trying to murder his grandmother for $23 in cash.
Orleans County deputies have charged 17 year old Brandon Foster of Albion with breaking into the home of his grandmother late last night on Oak Orchard Road. Deputies say he attacked the woman with a knife as she slept.
The woman, Rachael Spearance, fought back and managed to get away.
While bleed profusely, police said Spearance drove herself to Medina Hospital where she was later flown to ECMC in serious but stable condition.
Foster fled the house and remained on the run until early this morning when police from several agencies, with the use of K-9 teams, tracked down the boy hiding in bushes behind the Burger King in Albion.
He is being held on $50,000 bail.

Bear sightings seem to be getting more common these days.
A black bear was sighted this afternoon near Putnam and Francis Roads in Bethany.
Last week a bear was spotted in Attica.

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The Batavia City Schools Board of Education has postponed their regular meeting.
The board of education was to have met tomorrow night.
That meeting has now been moved to next Tuesday night, July 17 at 6:30 in the District Administrative Conference Room.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer wants there to be more transparency when hurricane-damaged cars are sold. He says hundreds of cars damaged in last summer’s hurricanes are being cleaned up sold to customers who have no idea that they suffered flood damage. That’s because there’s no law requiring the disclosure be made to buyers.

The Muckdogs finish their series with the State College Spikes at Dwyer Stadium this evening.
Batavia has split the series with an 8 to 3 win over the Spikes last night and will try to take the series with the third home game tonight.
Listen to all the action live right here on WBTA beginning with the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.

News Release: Orleans County Sheriff’s Office

On July 9th, 2018, The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office arrested Brandon Foster, 17, of Albion, N.Y. following a violent incident at his grandmother’s house on Oak Orchard Road in the Town of Albion.
Undersheriff Christopher M. Bourke reports that shortly before midnight on July 8th, Foster allegedly went to home of his grandmother, Rachael Spearance, located just outside the Village of Albion. Foster entered the residence by climbing on a chair and forcing a rear window open. Upon climbing through a window, Foster proceeded to the bedroom and began attacking his grandmother with a knife as she slept in bed. Spearance began fighting back. Foster then placed her in a choke hold. Spearance was able to get away from Foster’s grasp and confront him about what he was doing. Foster then stole $23.00 cash and the victims cell phone and climbed out a different window and fled the scene.
Spearance, while bleeding profusely, was able to leave the residence and drive to Medina Hospital. Spearance was then transported to the Erie County Medical Center by Mercy Flight where she remains in serious but stable condition.
Orleans County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Albion Police arrived at the scene. The man hunt for the suspect took place in the Village of Albion throughout the night involving several agencies including the Sheriff’s Office, Albion Police, N.Y.S Police, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Bloodhound and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit. Several interviews were conducted and several houses and building were searched. K-9 units tracked the suspect for hours through the Village of Albion. Around 6:00AM, K9-Teams were able to locate the suspect hiding in the bushes behind Burger King. The suspect surrendered peacefully at that time.
Foster is charged with Attempted Murder in the 1st degree, Burglary in the 1st Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree (all felonies), Criminal Obstruction of Breathing and Petit larceny. Foster was arraigned before Albion Town Justice Hon. Joseph Fuller. Bail was set at $50,000 cash, $100,000 Surety Bond. Foster is scheduled to return to the Town of Albion Court on July 11th, 2018, at 9:00AM.

Press Release:

On July 6, 2018 at 7:23 PM, Troopers out of SP Albion arrested Jessica R. Schofield, 29 of Albion, NY for petit larceny.

Troopers were dispatched to the Walmart Store on State Route 31 in the town of Albion for report of a larceny. Walmart Loss Prevention employees alleged that Schofield was observed stealing $432.54 worth of grocery merchandise and attempted to exit the store without paying. Schofield was arrested at the scene and transported to SP Albion.

Schofield was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the town of Albion Court in July 2018.

Press Release:

BATAVIA – After a 15 year hiatus Pop Rock Group Seven Day Faith, featuring their original lineup of Rob Ferenc, John Rosini, Kevin Ernst and Rob Bilson, will reunite for a One Night Only Concert experience. Taking place on Saturday, September 15th 2018, the four original members will perform such hits as “Everything” “Ready To Go” and “Forever and a Day” on stage together for the first time in over 15 years.

“We are looking forward to hosting Seven Day Faith’s reunion show,” said Henry Wojtaszek, CEO/President at Batavia Downs Gaming. “These talented musicians have entertained thousands of Western New Yorkers and we’re excited to welcome their fans to experience what’s sure to be a great night of music.”

“The four of us John, Kevin, Rob Ferenc and Myself, we have not been on stage together for over 15 years. I am looking forward to performing our songs and reliving those years of making great music and traveling together. This is sure to be a magic evening,’ said Rob Bilson, lead singer of Seven Day Faith. “The time is right, it has been this is the 15th Anniversary of our 2nd release Somebody Save Me. That record gave us arguably our biggest single in “Forever and A Day” which was a top 5 hit on the Kiss 98.5 charts. It will be an amazing night revisiting this record as well as the wonderful music from our debut release “Life Says We Think Too Much.”

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, July 10th at 10am on bataviaconcerts.com. Doors open at 7pm, with live music starting at 8pm. Tickets are just $7. Each concert ticket is also redeemable at Player’s Club that night for $7 in Free Play to be used on one of Batavia Downs Gaming’s 800+ gaming machines.

About Batavia Downs/WROTB
Owned and operated by 15 Western New York counties and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo, Western Region Off-Track Betting Corporation is a public benefit corporation with headquarters in Batavia, NY. WROTB owns and operates 17 branches, as well as Batavia Downs Gaming, a standard bred racetrack and gaming facility. Since its inception, Western Region OTB has generated over $215 million in operating and surcharge revenues to the taxpayers of those participating municipalities.

About Seven Day Faith
Founded in 1996 by Western New York musicians Rob Ferenc, John Rosini, Kevin Ernst and Rob Bilson, Seven Day Faith’s musical and lyrical talents helped them earn the distinction of the Top Original Rock Group at the 2002 Buffalo Music Awards with Rob Bilson winning the Top Original Male Vocalist award at the 2003 Buffalo Music Awards. They claimed the number one spot in Billboard magazine’s Independent music Charts in 2004 and have gone on to open for national acts such as John Entwhistle, Pat Benetar, Michele Branch, Simple Plan, Switchfoot, Gavin Degraw, Avril Lavigne, Shaggy, LLCool J, , Vanessa Carlton, JC Chasez, Papa Roach, Fuel and Our Lady Peace.

Photo credit The Batavian

Fire destroys century old Stumblin’ Inn in Elba.
The Local landmark that was the Stumblin’ Inn is now just a memory for most residents.
A fully involved structure fire was reported at the South Main Street address in Elba yesterday morning right around 9 a.m.
Owner of the nearby Elba Diner, Doug Chappius was among the first to spot the fire…

Elba fire was dispatched along with Batavia’s Fast Team, Oakfield and Alabama Fire along with Tankers from Bethany, Stafford, Alexander and East Pembroke and Fire Police from Barre.
Elba Fire Chief Mike Heale was one of the first responders on scene

The Fire Chief added that they are investigating whether the blaze began inside or outside.
Chief Heale said they were fortunate to have good weather to fight the fire.
The flames were reportedly to under control shortly before 1 p.m. and the building had to be excavated yesterday afternoon in order for fire crews to douse the remaining hot spots.
The two residents who lived in the upper floors managed to escape before firefighters arrived and there were no injuries reported.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
For more on the story check the article by our news partner The Batavian.

Byron resident busted for DWI after accident on Lyman Road.
34 year old Kelly DiMatteo of Byron Holley Road was taken into custody following investigation into a one car crash on Lyman Road last Wednesday night.
DiMatteo was arrested and charged with a Class E felony Count od DWI for having a previous conviction within 10 years along with counts for Refusing a breath test, failing to keep right and moving from a lane unsafely.
DiMatteo was remanded to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Senator Chuck Schumer wants New Yorkers to be careful when buying a used car.
Thousands of vehicles from areas damaged by Hurricane Harvey last year are now flooding the market. Schumer says they can be cleaned up for a low cost and sold to unsuspecting buyers.
He believes it’s up to the Federal Trade Commission to do more to help protect consumers, and expand mandated checks for flood-damaged vehicles.

The Muckdogs have split the first two-games of a three-game series with State College at Dwyer Stadium.
Despite a strong start on Saturday night the home team lost 7-4, however yesterday afternoon, the Muckdogs scorched the Spikes 8-3.
Batavia will attempt to capture the three-game series tonight.
Game time is 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Stadium and you can hear the game as it happens live here on WBTA.

Fire is consuming the historic Stumblin’ Inn on Main Street in Elba.
The first of several fire companies responded shortly after 9:30 this morning.
Thick smoke is visible from several miles.
Witnesses say flames were visible from every part of the building.
Authorities have blocked traffic on Route 98 in both directions.
Motorists are asked to avoid the scene.
Shortly after 10 am, all interior firefighters were ordered out of the building – an indication that the fire was spreading to rapidly to contain.

Doug Chappius owns the nearby Elba Diner. He said the Stumblin’ was a local landmark. He was also among the first to spot the fire

No cause for the fire has been determined and no injuries have been reported.

Press Release:

GCC Athletic HOF Set to Induct Five this Fall

The Genesee Community College athletics and alumni departments are pleased to announce five new inductees into the Cougars’ Athletic Hall of Fame to be enshrined this fall.

The list includes four players and one coach. Almost every sport season is equally represented when each of the soon-to-be inductees was involved in Cougar sports during their time at GCC. That demographic includes: fall (one volleyball student-athlete), winter (one swimming and diving student-athlete, and one basketball coach), and spring (one baseball student-athlete, and one lacrosse student-athlete).

Congratulations to Tammy Conrad Wickens, Sara Barr, Scott Hemer, John Polonius, and Connor Latimer; on their outstanding Cougar careers that expanded from the water to the court, field and diamond.

The induction location has yet to be determined, but will take place Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. with the induction ceremony to begin at 5 p.m. Further details – including athletic biographies – will be forth coming as the induction date nears.

With the inclusion of this year’s class of inductees, the GCC Athletic Hall of Fame will expand to 21 with two teams and 19 individuals.

Three GCC Summer Athletic Camps Accepting Applicants

The Genesee Community College athletics department will be hosting three soccer camps this summer. In addition to the boys and girls soccer camps is a new camp designed to improve performance in any sport in speed, agility and conditioning.

The latter all-sports co-ed camp runs from July 9 – August 3 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. for ages 10 and above.

GCC head women’s soccer and lacrosse coach Jeff Reyngoudt and GCC head athletic trainer Amber Nichols (MS, ATC, PES) are the featured instructors.

Both the boys soccer and girls soccer camps begin July 23 and run through July 27.

The girls soccer camp will be held in the morning from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., while the boys soccer camp starts in the afternoon at 1 p.m. and runs through 3:30 p.m. Both soccer camps are for ages 10 and above.

To register electronically and reserve a spot and get further information, simply click on this link: http://www.geneseeathletics.com/camps/camps-list

Genesee Community College soccer teams believe the “game” is the best teacher and that philosophy is evident at our camps. Daily activities include individual ball skills, small-sided games, group tactics and learning through playing. Also, we will have sessions strictly for goalies to work on their skills.

Baseball Cougars Land Pitching-Ace Cole

The Genesee Community College baseball team inked Parker Cole as its newest signee, as the Bolivar-Richburg High School Wolverine comes to the Cougars with impressive credentials.

Cole led Bolivar-Richburg to a Section V Class D title by throwing a no-hitter and earning his school its third sectional title in the last five years.

Although that may have been the senior’s most impressive game on the season, voters found Cole’s season as equally impressive as he was awarded the Allegany County Division-I Most Valuable Player Award.

Cole averaged two strikeouts per inning in amassing a 108 total – that was the most of any in the Allegany County division. For those that weren’t struck out, Cole gave up a hit about every four innings on the average with just 16 total on the season. His earned-run-average finished at 1.55.

Cole also helped his team offensively with a .495 on-base percentage that included 29 hits, 29 runs and 21 RBI with a batting average near .400.

Clingerman Solidifies Women’s Lacrosse Defense as Newest Signee

The Genesee Community College women’s lacrosse team added yet another vital piece to its team with the signing of Olivia Clingerman.

The three-year high school varsity defensive starter for the Waterloo Indians is set to trade-in her orange and black attire for Cougar blue and gold, after leading the former to consecutive semifinal appearances in each of her three years of varsity play.

For head women’s lacrosse coach Jeff Reyngoudt, it was a signing that he had pursued beyond most of his already impressive list of incoming players for next season but one well worth the wait.

The former honor student at Waterloo will pursue a career in respiratory therapy with studies in that field while attending GCC.

Mark Jagord
GCC Sports Information

Air conditioning issues disrupt residents during a heat wave at a nursing home in Batavia.
The Privately operated Premiere Genesee Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Batavia was dealing with air conditioning failure on two of the hottest days of the year.
A brief outage on Monday was quickly amended and a much longer outage occurred Thursday.
Residents had to be moved from the upper floors where temperatures reached the mid 80’s.
Premier Administrator Christine Schaller says the AC is back up and running however portable units have been purchased to aid in the cooling effort…

Officials with the State Health Department came in to investigate the situation.

Shoplifters apparently planning a surf and turf busted by Batavia Police.
According to our news partner, The Batavian, the trio of shoplifting suspects allegedly filled their cart full of groceries from Tops including items such as steaks, lobster, shrimp and a large roast before taking off in a red van.
Police stopped the vehicle at Park Road and Oak Street and discovered even more merchandise that had been allegedly taken from Walmart.
They appeared not to be local residents.

46 year old Keith White of North Tonawanda was taken into custody shortly before noon yesterday for allegedly stealing from Walmart in Batavia.
White is currently being held without bail in Genesee County on charges of Burglary and Grand Larceny.

The Muckdogs lose game two but win the series with a third game victory over The Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
After finishing up the remaining innings for Thursday night’s match up in a loss of 6 to 7 Friday night finished strong for the Batavia ball-team with a 2 to 1 win over the Scrappers.
In the upset, Batavia dealt the division leaders their first series loss of the season.
Batavia returns home this weekend for a three game series against the State College Spikes you can hear all three games beginning at 7:05 p.m. Saturday through Monday night here on WBTA.

Raffle season returns for the Rotary Club of Batavia.
Rotary’s annual Corvette Fundraising Raffle was cancelled two years in a row over fear that the State would crackdown on raffles that sold tickets over the internet.
The club is now selling raffle tickets for a $20,000 grand prize to be awarded at the end of September.
Rotary is happy to report the raffle is completely compliant with New York State law.

The former Genesee County Nursing Home, now privately operated as Premiere Genesee, lost air conditioning on two of the hottest days of the year.
There was a two hour outage on Monday and a much longer outage yesterday.
Residents had to be moved from the upper floors where temperatures reached the mid 80’s.
Nursing home administrator Christine Schaller says the old AC system has been repaired but new portable units are being brought in to supplement it

Officials with the State Health Department came in to investigate the situation.

Batavia Police nab a trio of shoplifting suspects with enough food for a feast.
The three allegedly grabbed the groceries from Tops and fled in a van which was stopped at Park Road and Oak Street.
The names of the three have not been released.
Our news partner, The Batavian, reports the three do not appear to be local residents.
The stolen food included steaks, lobster, shrimp and a large roast.

New York State’s maple industry hit a 74-year record this year with the production of more than 800-thousand gallons of maple syrup.
The maple industry in New York has grown by nearly 50 percent in the last five years and continues to maintain the state’s standing as the second leading producer in the nation.

The Rotary Club of Batavia has announced it is back in the raffle business.
The club curtailed its annual Corvette Fundraising Raffle two years ago when it was feared New York State would crackdown on raffles that sold tickets over the internet.
The club is now selling raffle tickets for a $20,000 grand prize to be awarded at the end of September.
The club promises that this raffle is 100 percent New York State law compliant.

The Batavia New York Rotary Club has a long history of making significant capital contributions to local projects which are typically multi-year commitments. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the most recent and major fund raiser –The Annual Corvette Raffle – was put on hold while the State of New York’s elected officials in Albany reformed outdated 1950’s laws with regards to non-profit/charitable gaming raffles. Specifically: to who, where and when tickets could be sold.

In the 21st Century of internet, credit card and remote sale transactions , the current NYS lim-ited raffle laws continue to be a major constraint on Batavia Rotary Club ticket sales necessary to cover the previous cost of the car, ten other $500 winners, the expenses to run such a raffle and net proceeds to satisfy our financial commitment to donations towards the UMMC operat-ing room renovations, YMCA/UMMC wellness center and our annual $18,000 college scholar-ship program for three deserving high school graduates from Batavia High, Notre Dame and Genesee Valley Educational Partnership.

All that said, the Batavia Rotary Club is pleased to announce they are reentering the game with a 100% NYS Raffle Laws-compliant Cash Raffle having a $20,000 top prize. Only 999 tickets will be sold at $100 each and the vast majority of the tickets will be sold here in WNY the counties of Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara and Erie (as is still required by an-tiquated NYS Lottery laws).

The Batavia New York Rotary Club – 85 members strong- will be soliciting and reaching out with tickets through a limited distribution and face to face contacts starting July 6, 2018.
The top prize winner will be selected as part of our Annual Brew Fest Event on September 29, 2018 at the Batavia Downs Gaming. Five other lucky ticket holders will receive $100 cash priz-es.
Contact any Batavia Rotarian for tickets. Tickets will also be available at:

Lawley Insurance at 20 Jefferson Avenue
Dr. Michael Kubiniec, DDS at 180 Washington Avenue
WBTA at 113 Main Street

Press Release:

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer is encouraging students to continue growing, learning and developing– even though school is out of session until September– by participating in his Summer Reading Program.

“As the school year comes to an end, students are turning their thoughts away from books to vacation. This program is a great way to promote literacy and keep children’s minds active when they are not in a classroom. I encourage students to read all summer long by participating in the Summer Reading Program,” said Ranzenhofer.

The theme of this year’s program is Libraries Rock! Students and parents can participate by visiting Senator Ranzenhofer’s website, ranzenhofer.nysenate.gov.

Evidence shows that children who stop reading over the summer often fall behind when they return to class in September. Over 2.2 million students participated in summer reading at New York libraries last year.

Lauren Stumpf shaking hands with SUNY Chancellor Johnson at GCC’s 50th Commencement Ceremony on May 20, 2018

Press Release:

As Genesee Community College’s 50th graduating class crammed for finals, one student worked harder, practiced longer, collaborated more and without realizing it-embodied the College’s “Beyond Expectations” brand with quiet dignity and integrity seldom seen.

Lifelong Bergen resident, Lauren E. Stumpf was born in 1994 with Cerebral Palsy, and has relied on a wheelchair for mobility for most of her life. But this challenge never much slowed Lauren down, nor dampened her spirited disposition. With hard work and dedication, she has enjoyed great success. She graduated from Byron-Bergen Schools in 2012 and months later enrolled at GCC with plans to earn a degree in Human Services.

Lauren’s determination has always been a mark of her character and integrity, first by proving her doctors wrong by far exceeding their projected life expectancy of just five-years. Then at GCC she excelled in her coursework and quickly made friends across campus.

Several months before graduation, Lauren decided she wanted to make the ceremony even more special by surprising her family and friends with another significant accomplishment-walking across the Commencement stage to accept her diploma. To that end, Lauren began doing exercises to strengthen her muscles, and she contacted her friends who were enrolled in GCC’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program. Together, with guidance from their professors, they helped Lauren by monitoring her progress, educating her about proper posture and exertion levels to ensure she rested appropriately and did not injure herself.

As Lauren proudly walked across the stage, the crowd cheered, applauded and many people jumped to their feet with enthusiasm and support. She shook hands with keynote speaker Dr. Kristina Johnson, the new SUNY Chancellor, whose speech included a message about optimism and rising to her own challenge of being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Lauren’s determination inspired the GCC’s admissions office to capture her story in a short video that would illustrate her resolve. It also will inspire others to meet their challenges head-on and realize the many resources available to help make their dreams a reality.

Lauren’s story is proof that good news travels fast and far. After posting Lauren’s story on the College’s social media channels, there were more than 4,500 views in just one week. This included a message from Buffalo State College who is looking forward to having her on their campus this fall, as she begins her next challenge. Lauren will be enrolled in Buffalo State’s Special Education program, in part, as a tribute to her close friend who also enrolled in the program but sadly passed away before she graduated.

“After Buffalo State, I want to get a job as a special education teacher and possibly go back to GCC as a professor for the developmental disabilities class,” Lauren said.
And to that GCC remarks, “Bring it on! We can’t wait to see you.”

Press Release:

The Genesee Region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announces a day of musical and theatrical performances culminating with a grand outdoor concert by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and a spectacular fireworks display over the Grand Gorge at LETCHWORTH STATE PARK.

The Saturday, July 14th events will be held at the Archery Field Overlook in the park, just inside the Castile entrance. All activities are outdoors and the public is encouraged to bring their chairs and blankets.

Schedule for the day:

2:00pm— Steve West, Local Musician –An afternoon of Acoustic Guitar

4:30pm— Shake on the Lake, the Perry, NY professional theater company performing – “Experts Guide to Shakespeare – All 36 plays in 36 minutes or less”

5:30pm— “Injest” Comedy and Juggling

6:30pm— Shake on the Lake – repeat of the 4:30 show

8:00pm— BPO Concert featuring an Americana Program lead by celebrated conductor JoAnn Falletta

9:30pm— Grand Fireworks over the Gorge

Parking for the day’s activities will be available at Trailside Lodge, Lower Falls, Octogan and overflow at Group camp area. Shuttle buses will be operating between these locations beginning at 3:15pm until 1am.

Admission to the show is included with the $10.00 per vehicle park entrance fee. Letchworth is a ‘carry-in / carry-out’ park.

For further information call 585-493-3600 or write to Letchworth State Park, 1 Letchworth State Park, Castile, and NY 14427. For more information about New York State Parks, please visit our website at www.parks.ny.gov

Letchworth State Park is part of the statewide system of parks, recreation and historic sites of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation administered by the Genesee Region, Western District.

Joe Petrillo with his awards

Press Release:

On May 21, 2018 Genesee Community College Adjunct Mathematics Instructor and Professional Tutor Joseph Petrillo of Warsaw was awarded a STAR-NY Mastery of Practice and the STAR-NY Team Spirit award for his academic efforts during the Spring 2018 semester.

STAR-NY, which is an acronym for Shared Technology And Resources, is a consortium of SUNY colleges and universities who employ instructors and tutors to provide free online one-on-one tutoring for students through the use of the WorldWideWhiteboard. The program’s goal is to teach the student how to learn, not what to learn. Students can upload documents into the whiteboard which allows both the student and the tutor to write on them and they both use a chat box in the virtual room for questions and responses. Quality control teams monitor and check sessions to improve the service and document various student needs. The program’s subjects and functions are governed by supervisors from each member college and university.

STAR-NY’s Mastery in Practice is awarded each semester by a five-person quality review panel to a tutor who consistently demonstrates both a deep understanding of the STAR-NY tutoring philosophy, and considerable skill in applying that philosophy in a variety of challenging situations.

The Team Spirit award recognizes a tutor who is alert and conscious of unusual occurrences during tutoring sessions for both colleagues and students and reports that information in a timely fashion. Examples of such occurrences could include opening a dialogue with other subject tutors about a shared tutee (even if not on the same night); notifying the quality control officer immediately upon noticing that no room was open for another subject at a scheduled time or following up with a tutee to provide further resources after a session was completed. These types of actions support an effective learning environment.

“Joe’s performance has been exemplary during his time as a STAR-NY tutor. The skills and techniques he uses have proven to further student learning through very difficult course content,” Dr. Craig Lamb, GCC’s dean of Distributed Learning said. “It is for these and many other reasons STAR-NY recognized Joe’s talents with these awards and will soon welcome him to their quality control team.”

These recognitions have earned Petrillo a place in GCC’s new Recognition Matters series which highlights the accomplishments of the College’s faculty, staff and students. Officials at GCC have embraced this series as a way to acknowledge not only the achievement, but the continued high quality of individuals who demonstrate GCC’s “beyond expectations” brand each day.

Petrillo, who has been a professional physics tutor through STAR-NY since February 2017, also has experience tutoring in basic college math and algebra, statistics, calculus, biology and chemistry. In addition to the hours he spends tutoring, Petrillo has served as an adjunct mathematics instructor at GCC’s Arcade, Warsaw and Batavia campus locations and a test proctor at GCC in Warsaw.

In the Spring of 2012, Petrillo was named GCC’s Warsaw Instructor of the Semester. He earned a B.S. in Nuclear Medicine from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1994, his B.S. in Liberal Arts and Science from SUNY Empire State College in 1981 and his A.S. in Engineering Science from Monroe Community College in 1977. He currently resides in Warsaw.
Any student interested in using the STAR-NY tutoring services is encouraged to visit http://www.starny.org/ to see the “Available Subjects and Times” and from there, click on “Request a Tutor”.

Students can also contact onlinetutoring@cortland.edu for more information.

Stolen items replaced and security being added following theft from the Peace Garden.
Community members have come out offering a helping hand after it was reported that two large black granite urns were stolen from tht Batavia Peace Garden off of West Main Street in the City.
Treasurer Carol Grasso credited funeral director Michael Tomaszewski as the kind hearted community member who stepped up to replace the missing urns.
Grasso said another donor who wished to remain anonymous contacted members of the Peace Garden about funding for a new security system…

Police have obtained surveillance footage from businesses across the street and are currently investigating the incident.

Erratic operation on Redfield leads to charges for a Lewis Ave resident.
Following a complaint of an erratic driver on West Main Street last Friday evening, Genesee County Deputies stopped 69 year old Ronald Metz of Lewis Ave in Batavia.
Metz was stopped on Redfield Parkway and was subsequently arrested for allegedly being intoxicated.
He is facing counts of DWI along with traffic infractions for failing to signal and keep right.
Metz was given appearance tickets returnable to Batavia City Court on July 18th.

Fallen State Trooper services this weekend.
While responding to a call near Corning Monday morning 29 year old state police officer Nicholas Clark lost his life.
43 year old Steven Kiley shot and killed Clark according to investigators.
Kiley’s estranged wife called police after she says he was showing suicidal behavior.
After shooting Trooper Clark, Kiley took his own life. Clark’s wake will be tomorrow on the campus of Alfred University.
His funeral is Sunday.

Senator Chuck Schumer is raising a red flag over the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs on paper sent from Canada to New York.
Speaking at Quad Graphics in Saratoga Springs yesterday, Senator Schumer said those taxes could have a negative impact on businesses.
For example, Schumer says it could cost Quad Graphics alone 90 million dollars a year.
He believes the tariffs could also put printing companies out of business, leading to layoffs.

Last night’s ball game between The Batavia Muckdogs’ and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers had to be suspended due to rain.
The weather stopped play in the top of the 5th when Batavia was trailing 3 to zip.
The full nine innings will be finished in yesterday’s game beginning at 5:05 p.m. tonight then 30 minutes after that the teams will take to the field again to play a seven inning match to complete the originally scheduled game for tonight.
It will be the Muckdogs’ first seven inning game of the season.
After winning game one of the series, the Muckdogs look to give Mahoning Valley their first series loss of the season by winning either game tonight.

Local funeral director Michael Tomaszewski is replacing urns stolen from the Peace Garden.

Members of the Batavia Peace Garden reported two large black granite urns had disappeared from the site on the south side of West Main Street while tending to the garden on Monday.

Police are checking surveillance footage from businesses across the street to see if they can possibly identify any suspects.

Since the news spread, community members have stepped up to help out.

Peace Garden Treasurer Carol Grasso…

Grasso said that after approval to purchase a surveillance system for the garden was decided an anonymous donor offered to help pay for the security system.

She said the congregating Pokémon players are welcome in the garden but have likely led to some property damage and littering.

Grasso also encouraged volunteers to come out the morning of August 4th if they are interested in grooming the garden with the weekenders.

Press Release:

With potential high temperatures, we want to be sure you understand summer heat dangers. Please be aware of the following:

Danger signs for Heat Exhaustion–call the doctor if any of these symptoms arise:

heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps
tiredness, weakness, dizziness
headache, nausea or vomiting, fainting
skin – cool & moist, pulse rate – fast & weak, breathing – fast & shallow

Danger signs for Heat Stroke – needing immediate medical attention:

• extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees F)
• red, hot and dry skin (no sweating)
• rapid strong pulse
• throbbing headache
• dizziness and nausea

To protect oneself from heat-related stress and prevent heat-related problems, the CDC recommends the following tips:

• Drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages (If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink when the weather is hot. Also, avoid extremely cold liquids because they can cause cramps.)
• Rest.
• Take a cool shower, bath or sponge bath.
• If possible, seek an air- conditioned environment. (If you don’t have air conditioning, consider visiting an air-conditioned shopping mall, public library to cool off).
• Wear lightweight clothing.
• If possible, remain indoors in the heat of the day.
• Do not engage in strenuous activities.

The Office for the Aging is air-conditioned and is open to any older adult, age 60 and over. Come and cool off in the Senior Center lobby, TV room, and/or activity rooms.

Crash in Elba sends three to the hospital.
Three people were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital after a two car crash was reported at Route 98 and Lockport Road in Elba.
The Batavian reports that a sedan and a pickup collided at the intersection at around 2:30 yesterday afternoon.
Both involved vehicles had two occupants inside.
One person was airlifted via Mercy Flight to the hospital, while two others were taken by ambulance.
The fourth occupant was a sign off on scene.
All injuries were apparently non-life-threatening.

Eight concert goers arrested at Darien Lakes latest rap performance.
The Logic concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on July 3rd ended in arrest for a number of individuals.
Four were arrested for unlawfully possessing pot, others were charged with Disorderly Conduct, Trespassing and one for Harassment for allegedly shoving a Live Nation employee inside the venue.
27 year old Michael Stutzman of Hamburg was arrested for DWI after allegedly getting an accident in the concert parking lot.
All eight were released with appearance tickets.

Buffalo boys arrested for various felonies after taking a joy ride into the sticks.
Buffalo residents Jason Mann and Travis Kent both 17 along with 19 year old David Edwards were apprehended in a corn field after attempting to take two ATV’s in Dairen.
They allegedly ditched a stolen vehicle from Lackawana in a farm field off Harper Road before attempting to steal two ATV’s from a Broadway Road residence.
Fortunately the resident scared them off and they fled into a field.
The trio is facing various felony charges for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Attempted Grand Larceny and Criminal Mischief and all three are being held in lieu of $10,000.
Investigation remains on-going and further charges are pending.

State Police in Albion arrest a Rochester resident on a felony sex offense.
Troopers are investigating an alleged sex offense in the Town of Murray from March of this year.
20 year old Antonio Reyes of Rochester was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon on a felony charge of Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Reyes was released on his own recognizance.

Heat Advisory goes back into effect today.
According to the National Weather Service a heat advisory remains in effect from noon to 8 pm today for the entire region.
The heat index in some places is expected to stay in the upper 90s.
The hot temperatures and high humidity is a recipe for heat illness.
Officials encourage drinking plenty of fluids, staying in an air-conditioned room, out of the sun and to check in on relatives and neighbors.

Muckdogs take game one from division leaders Mahoning Valley.
In their Independence Day matchup, Batavia bested Pinckney Division-leaders Mahoning Valley 4-3 for their third win in four games.
The Scrappers haven’t lost a series all season, and Batavia has a chance to deal them their first tonight.
Game two of the series is this evening with a 7:05 first pitch from Eastwood Field.

Press Release:

A Statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia)

“As we wade into the dog days of summer, Independence Day is a cherished reminder that the American Dream is alive and well and the right of any nation and its people to live free should not be infringed upon.

“Our founding fathers, the patriots who forged our nation through a crucible of revolution, knew that the will of men and women to live free, govern themselves and choose their own destiny was undeniable and worth any sacrifice they may endure.

“The strength and courage of our founders to break from the tyranny of Great Britain, their home country, ultimately gave rise to the greatest military, economic and social power in world history, the United States of America.

“It is a true gift to have a sense of patriotism and it will forever be our responsibility to remember the brave men and women who made our country what it is today. The fight for liberty and justice is never complete; and as Americans it is our duty to remember and cherish our independence. It is a day to celebrate our freedom, our country, our triumphs and to remember all those men and women who have served our nation and who have made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of those ideals.

“Although this holiday is a joyous occasion, I encourage everyone to stay safe and to celebrate responsibly with family and friends. Happy Independence Day!”

Three Buffalo boys busted for attempting to take ATVs from a Darien address.
Three suspects were apprehended by deputies in a corn field about half a mile off of Broadway Road in Darien after allegedly stealing a vehicle and then trying to take two ATVs.
17 year olds Jason Mann and Travis Kent along with 19 year old David Edwards all of Buffalo were arrested on various felony charges for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Attempted Grand Larceny and Criminal Mischief.
The trio allegedly stole a vehicle from Lackawana then after damaging the vehicle significantly ditched it in a farm field off Harper Road.
They attempted to take two ATVs from a Broadway Road address but were thwarted by the resident and the subjects fled into a field.
All three are being held on $10,000 apiece and further charges are pending.

Lyndonville man arrested for sexual abuse.
State Police out of Albion have arrested 43 year old Jason Dusett of Lyndonville for Sexual Abuse in the 1st degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
On June 4th investigators received a report of a possible sex crime with a juvenile. Further investigation revealed that Dusett had sexual contact with a victim under the age of 11 years old.
Dusett was arraigned in Albion Town Court and remanded to the Orleans County Jail in lieu of $10,000.
Anyone with information is to contact the State Police at 585-344-6200 in reference to SJS 8301609.

Batavia Police are looking into the apparent theft of decorations from the Batavia Peace Garden.
Two large resin urns and a ceramic snail turned up missing on Monday from the Garden along the south side of West Main Street.
Police are checking security camera footage from businesses across the street.
If you have any information, you are asked to call Batavia Police.

Batavia Muckdogs win their second series of the season, as they bounced back off of Monday night’s loss to the Black Bears to take the final game defeating West Virginia 5 to 4.
Dwyer Stadium was packed to witness the home team win and the night was capped off with a fireworks display.
Batavia goes on the road today to Pinckney Division leader, Mahoning Valley.

Batavia Police are looking into the apparent theft of decorations from the Batavia Peace Garden.
Missing are two large resin urns and a ceramic snail.
The Peace Garden is located along the south side of West Main Street.
It was built in 2012 to mark the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
The urns turned up missing yesterday.
Police are checking security camera footage from businesses across the street.
If you have any information, you are asked to call Batavia Police.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley expects to split his vote in the next legislative session on two issues that would legalize previously illegal activity.
The assembly adjourned last month putting off a vote on two bills:
One would legalize sports better and the other would legalize recreational pot.
Speaking on WBTA’s Main and Center program this morning Hawley said he remains opposed to legal recreational weed

Hawley said he will likely support the sports betting bill.
He expects both bills will be taken up early in the next session.

Flags flying at half-staff for a fallen State Trooper.
29 year old Trooper Nicholas Clark was responding to a call of a suicidal person early yesterday near Corning.
Clark was allegedly shot and killed by 43 year old Steven Kiley a former principal in Bradford Central Schools.
After shooting Clark Kiley then turned the gun on himself, taking his own life. Funeral arrangements for Trooper Clark have yet to be announced.

Another day of high temperatures and humidity across Western New York.
The Heat Advisory has been cancelled but forecasters still expect it to be in the mid-90s today with the heat index near or above 100 degrees.
Cooler temps aren’t expected to move in until later in the week.

The Muckdogs are one and one in their home series against the West Virginia Black B ears.
The Dog were defeated last night 3 to 1.
The rubber match is tonight at Dwyer Stadium.
The game to be followed by fireworks.
The Muckdogs are on the road tomorrow night.

Road Rage with a weapon lands a Liberty Street man behind bars.
A Liberty Street man was committed to County jail for Road Rage.
Following the incident last Friday on Main Street in the city, 19 year old Jacob Sponaugle of Batavia was arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Menacing.
Sponaugle apparently brandished a shotgun during the incident and pointed it at someone according to authorities.
He was remanded to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $2,500.

Stolen wallet sends a city man to County jail.
24 year old Joseph Burr of North Lyon Street in the city is accused of stealing someone’s wallet while they were involved in an argument on Lyon Street in Batavia last Friday.
Burr was arrested and charged with a number of counts including Grand Larceny, Robbery and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
He was ordered to be held on $2,000 bail in the County Jail.

Flags across New York are at half-staff in memory of a State Trooper.
Nicholas Clark lost his life early yesterday morning in Erwin, located near Corning.
The 29 year old Trooper was responding to a call of a suicidal person when he was shot and killed.
Police say 43 year old Steven Kiley, a school principal, murdered Clark before being found dead of a gunshot wound.
Clark is survived by his mother, father and brother.
Funeral arrangements haven’t been announced.

Another day of high temperatures and humidity across Western New York.
The Heat Advisory has been cancelled however forecasters still expect it to be in the mid-90s today with heat indices being near or above 100 degrees in some places.
Cooler temps aren’t expected to move in until later in the week.
Officials are still asking people to check on the elderly and children until the heat wave passes.

Added strain from air conditioning has National Grid asking people to cut their unnecessary electrical usage for the rest of the week.
Officials say their power grid is holding up adequately considering the extra demand.
One thing you can do to help out is using less of your hot water appliances like dishwashers and washing machines.
And if you have a pool, make sure your pump isn’t running all the time.

West Virginia evens the score with a win in the second of three game series against the Muckdogs.
The Black Bears beat Batavia 3 to 1 last night tying up the series.
The Muckdogs have another shot to take down West Virginia tonight at Dwyer Stadium beginning with the first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
Listen to all the Batavia baseball action right here on WBTA.

The National Weather Service has posted a Heat Advisory until 10 o’clock tonight.
The advisory extends to Genesee and Orleans counties.
The heat index, a combination of temperature and humidity, could reach as high as 100 degrees.
In addition to the heat, the Weather Service is forecasting scattered thunderstorms for this afternoon and early evening. These thunderstorms could contain damaging winds.

Two Batavia men were scheduled to appear in City Court today facing felony charges in separate incidents.
19 year old Jacob Sponaugle of Liberty Street is charged with Menacing. Police say he brandished a shotgun at another person following a road rage incident on Main Street last Friday.

24 year old Joseph Burr of North Lyon Street is charged with Robbery and Grand Larceny for allegedly taking a wallet from another person during an argument.

State Police say a trooper was shot and killed early this morning near Albany when responding to a call of a suicidal suspect.
The suspect was also killed.
The shooting took place near a community college, which prompted a massive police response.
The trooper has been identified as Nicholas Clark.

The Batavia Muckdogs look to win their second straight game and clinch a series win tonight over the West Virginia Black Bears.
The Dogs beat the Black Bears 8 to 4 yesterday in spectacular fashion with a Brayan Hemandez walk-off grand slam home run.
First pitch tonight at Dwyer Stadium is 7:05, the game can be heard  on WBTA.

Press Release:

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

With the start of the live racing season just three weeks away, horseman should be advised this is the last call to turn in a stall application for the upcoming 2018 summer/fall meet.

Stall applications must be received by the track no later than Friday (July 6).

The backstretch opens for tack on Monday (July 16) at 8 a.m. and horses may begin arriving on Wednesday (July 18) at 8 a.m.

Stall applications are available for download on the track’s website (www.bataviadownsgaming.com). Simply click Live Racing>Horsemen>Stall Application and Agreement and also Stall Reservations. Applications are also available at the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association (WNYHHA) office located onsite at Buffalo Raceway.

The first draw will be held on Thursday (July 19) for Monday (July 23) which is the first New York Sire Stake engagement of the year at the Downs.

Starting this meet, Batavia Downs will now have a six-race paddock with the opening of the new two-race barn which was built adjacent to the existing pre-race staging area. The 16-horse wash stall barn is also incorporated on that campus.

Batavia Downs will also offer its new text messaging service for notices about draws, entries and changes to the racing schedule. Horsemen are encouraged to text the word “HORSEMAN” to 51660. You will then need to reply “YES” and you’ll be opted in for race office text message updates.

All stable inquiries should be directed to Todd Haight, Director/GM of Live Racing at 585-343-3750, ext. 6322.

Press Release:

Seize the day with a guided kayak tour of DeWitt Lake on Saturday July 21st! Explore the lake by water and discover a new world. Session 1 takes place from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, Session 2 takes place from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Meet at the boat launch at DeWitt Recreation Area. No experience needed, a beginner kayaking lesson is provided! Rent a kayak or bring your own. Kayak rentals with life vests are provided by Adventures in Fitness Inc. Solo kayak rentals are available for ages 12 and up, tandem kayak rentals are available for kids under 12 and must be piloted by an adult.
Guided tour fee is $20/person without rental or $25/person with kayak rental per session. Fee for children under 12 is $10 per session. Pre-registration is required by Saturday July 14th, call 585-344-1122!

For more information visit our website at http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/departments/parks/, or contact Shannon Lyaski at Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us or (585) 344-1122.

Like us on Facebook at: Genesee County Parks, Recreation & Forestry

https://www.facebook.com/Genesee-County-Parks-Recreation-Forestry-465144840306572/?ref=hl

Press Release:

The annual Genesee County Fair returns for its 179th year on July 16 – 21, 2018. This year’s fair will include a demolition derby, cowgirl couture barrel racing, an Empire State Pullers tractor pull, an expanded midway with nearly 20 rides and a host of other exciting changes and events to be enjoyed by the whole family.

New this year, the fair will be giving away tickets to the demolition derby and tractor pull on their Facebook page in the weeks leading up to the fair. Anyone wishing to win tickets can reply to a trivia question on the fair’s Facebook page for a chance. The fair is also hosting a Battle of the Bands on Thursday night, July 19. Several local bands will go head-to-head in the musical competition, with the winner playing the main stage on Friday night. The fair is pleased to announce the return of the talent show on July 21.

One of the longest consecutively running county fair in New York State is a short drive from both Rochester and Buffalo. Admission is $5 per carload, also making it one of the more affordable family activities of the summer. Since 1839, Upstate New York families have attended the annual fair at the Genesee County Fairgrounds to enjoy classic fair foods, meet and greet with animals (over 800 will be at the fair this year!), hop on the kids rides and more.

Attendees of the six-day fair will be treated to live music at Faith at the Fair on July 17, Under the Gun on July 21, as well as the winner of the battle of the bands competition on July 20, a creative container garden contest and chainsaw carvings. There will also be 4-H animal shows, tractor pulls, car shows, draft horse shows, stock car racing, a Fair Queen pageant and more.

Event Highlights:
7/16 Emergency Responder Night and Grande Parade through the Fairgrounds
7/17 Senior Citizen’s Day and Midway opens, Faith at the Fair
7/18 Children’s Day, 4H and Fair Queen Pageant
7/19 Veteran’s Day at the Fair, Battle of the bands and Special Stock Car races
7/20 Grand Demolition Derby and Cowgirl Couture Barrel Racing
7/21 Bring Your Tractor to the Fair Day with all day tractor pulls and the Empire State Pullers Show, Talent Show

For a complete list of events, visit gcfair.com/fair-schedule/. To keep up-to-date on the latest happenings of the fair, visit the Genesee County Fair’s Facebook page. The fair is also accepting applications for both sponsors and volunteers. For more information visit gcfair.com

Parking is available in the fairgrounds and admission is $5 per carload. The Genesee County Fairgrounds are located at 5056 E Main Street Rd, Batavia NY.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is holding his next round of office hours for Genesee and Monroe county residents starting July 11. The office hours will be attended by Hawley’s staff. The 139th Assembly District, represented by Hawley, includes all of Genesee County and portions of western Monroe County.

“These office hours offer local residents an opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns and ideas regarding the issues facing state government,” said Hawley. “I strongly encourage those who are able to attend to come and make their voices heard.”

To schedule an individual appointment with Hawley, please contact his office at hawleys@nyassembly.gov or by calling 585-356-0686 for the Monroe County office hours, or 585-813-1608 for the Genesee County office hours.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley
July Office Hours:

Monroe County:

Ellwanger Room
Seymour Library
161 East Avenue, Brockport
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Ellwanger Room
Seymour Library
161 East Avenue, Brockport
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Genesee County:

Genesee Community College
Conable Technology Building, Room T124
Assemblyman R. Stephen Hawley Drive (1 College Road), Batavia
Friday, July 13, 2018
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Genesee Community College
Conable Technology Building, Room T124
Assemblyman R. Stephen Hawley Drive (1 College Road), Batavia
Friday, July 27, 2018
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Rekindle reported at dump off of Transit Road.
A fire that was reported Friday evening at a dump off of 5955 Transit Road in Byron has apparently rekindled this morning.
The call came in shortly before 6 a.m.
All manpower from Byron Fire Department and South Byron is called to the scene along with mutual aid and tankers from Elba, Clarendon and Barre.
A dispatcher reported the location was a fill site at CY Farms.
According to reports the Department of Environmental Conservation was requested to be contacted and the farm has “an excavator on the way” to the blaze.

Excessive Heat Warning Cancelled as Heat Advisory remains in effect until this evening.
The heat index in some places is expected to reach 100 degrees or more today according to the National Weather Service.
A Heat Advisory remains in effect until 10 tonight for the region.
With air conditioners and fans working hard during the heat, utility companies are giving tips on how you can save a bit on your energy bills.
They suggest keeping your blinds or shades closed during the day, which helps prevent the sun from getting in, lowering cooling costs.
Also, use a programmable thermostat if possible.
Finally, unplug an unnecessary electronics you may not be using since some of them may still draw electricity even if they’re off.
For those without AC, officials from the state health department have provided a list of cooling centers on its website.

Stafford Scrap with deputies leads to arrest for a Rochester resident.
27 year old John Kelly of Rochester was arrested following investigation into a domestic incident on East Bethany-LeRoy Road in Stafford.
Kelly allegedly refused to leave the residence after being told he was not allowed to be on the property and then fought with deputies who were taking him into custody.
Kelly was charged with Criminal Trespassing, Obstruction of Government Administration, Resisting Arrest and Harassment.
He was issued an appearance ticket for Stafford Town Court on July 5th.

Corfu man faces charges for a dangerous crash in Pembroke.
Deputies were called to the scene of a one car motor vehicle accident on Route 5 in Pembroke early yesterday morning.
Arriving officers reported a vehicle lying on its roof with a broken utility pole and wires down arcing in a tree.
20 year old Jacob Jasinski of Akron Road Corfu was identified as the driver and was transported to the hospital for minor injuries.
Investigation revealed that Jasinski was allegedly intoxicated and had moved for a lane unsafely with unsafe tires.
He was given appearance tickets for the DWI, traffic and vehicle infractions and is expected to appear in Pembroke Town Court on August 28th.

Muckdogs win while away against West Virginia.
Batavia came home with an 8 to 4 win over West Virginia in last night’s match up.
The Muckdogs return to Dwyer stadium to continue their three game series against the Black Bears tonight beginning with the first pitch at 7:05.
You can hear the entire game right here on WBTA.

Press Release:

The New York State Police will increase patrols to crack down on drunk and drugged driving and other traffic infractions over the Fourth of July holiday. State Troopers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and target reckless and aggressive driving statewide in an effort to keep New York highways safe during one of the busiest summer holidays for travel. This special enforcement detail will begin on Saturday, June 30, 2018, and run through Thursday, July 5, 2018.

New York State Police Superintendent George P. Beach II said, “State Troopers will be highly visible on the roadways during the holiday, targeting drivers who needlessly put others in danger. We know all too well the preventable tragedies caused by impaired, reckless and distracted driving. Make the right choice – if your celebrations include drinking, plan ahead for a safe ride home.”

Last year, the State Police issued nearly 10,500 vehicle and traffic tickets during the Fourth of July holiday. Troopers arrested 240 people for DWI and investigated 152 crashes, which resulted in three fatalities and 248 injuries.

During the enforcement, drivers can expect a number of sobriety checkpoints and DWI patrols. Troopers will also be looking for motorists who are using their phones and other electronic devices while behind the wheel. Drivers should also remember to “move over” for stopped emergency and hazard vehicles stopped on the side of the road when they travel New York roadways.

Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of the operation. The CITE vehicles allow Troopers to more easily identify motorists who are using handheld devices while driving. These vehicles blend in with every day traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.

Data shows that the Fourth of July holiday period is especially deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), during the July 4th period in 2015, 146 people died nationwide in alcohol related crashes. Two thirds of those crashes involved at least one driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .15 percent or higher which is almost twice the legal limit.

If you drive drunk or drugged, you not only put your life and the lives of others at risk, you could face arrest, jail time, loss of your drivers license and substantial fines and attorney fees. The average drinking and driving arrest costs up to $10,000.

The Fourth of July initiative is partially funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC). The GTSC and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation remind motorists that their “Have a Plan” mobile app, is available for Apple, Droid and Windows smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi or rideshare service and program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties, and provides a way to report a suspected impaired driver

The New York State Police, GTSC and NHTSA recommend these simple tips to prevent drunk driving:
Plan a safe way home before the fun begins;
Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;
Use your community’s sober ride program;
If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement;
If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

An Intense Heat Advisory in effect over the Weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for the entire GLOW region and several surrounding counties to be following by an Excessive Heat Warning.
The Advisory is in effect Saturday through Sunday at noon and the Excessive Heat Warning is in effect from noon on Sunday through late Monday evening.
The highest heat index values will be from about noon through 8 PM each day.
Temperatures are expected to reach 104 on Saturday and as high as 108 Sunday and Monday.
There will be an increased risk for heat related illness with the elderly, very young, pregnant, and those with heart and respiratory conditions at the highest risk.
Officials encourage staying well hydrated, staying in an air-conditioned room, out of the sun and to check up on relatives and neighbors.

Hilton woman facing felony for allegedly driving drunk in Darien with a one year old.
38 year old Stacy Lynn Parks of East Ave in Hilton was stopped late Wednesday night on Route 20 Broadway Road in Darien where Genesee County Deputies allegedly found her to be driving while intoxicated accompanied by a one year old child a s a passenger.
Parks was taken into custody and charged with Aggravated DWI under Leandra’s Law and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
She was issued appearance tickets and is scheduled to appear in Darien Town Court on July 17th.

Three arrested at Chris Stapleton Concert at Darien Lake.
Genesee County Deputies arrested two people for alleged possession of pot and one for Criminal Trespassing and Harassment during the Chris Stapleton Concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Thursday.
40 year old Joseph Proia of West Creek Drive in Spencerport allegedly grabbed a Live Nation employee while being ejected for illegally reentering.
All three were issued appearance tickets for July 10th in Darien Town Court.

Bear spotted in Attica.
Someone driving on West Main Street near Bunnell Street in the village, reported seeing the Black Bear in the roadway at around 4 a.m. Friday.
The bear was described as a younger adult.
State Officials say you should Never approach a bear, Use loud noise to scare away Bears as soon as you see them and to Never Run from a Bear.

State Police start crack down on drunk and drugged driving beginning this weekend.
State Troopers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and target reckless and aggressive driving statewide in an effort to keep New York highways safe over the Fourth of July holiday
This special enforcement detail starts this weekend and runs through Thursday, July 5th.
Lawmen in Genesee County begin their special STOP-DWI crackdown on Wednesday July 4th to conclude on Sunday July 8th.

Carli Marino (center seated) is surrounded by family and friends after committing to GCC’s softball program next season

Press Release:

Marino Commits to Cougar Softball Program

Genesee Community College head softball coach Taylor Maurer introduced her latest recruit from Alexander High School – Carli Marino.

The three-sport athlete has been recognized multiple times while at Alexander that includes accolades beyond the court or diamond, and into the academic realm.

In the latter category, she has received awards and honors in the following areas: academic leadership, presidential ward, academic progress and an award of distinction.

Athletically, the high school senior has received two or more distinctions as most valuable, most improved, while also garnering a pair of coaches’ awards. In addition, she has landed the all-star team for Greater Rochester on at least one occasion.

Whether it was with her school or travel team she has been a force on the diamond in whatever position she has played; having thrown her first high school no-hitter during her junior season against Holley.

She also threw a pair of no-hitters with her travel team in help leading them to a league crown and Coach Maurer is hopeful her success and experience will help pay dividends with the Cougars next season.

Marino looks to pursue a science degree or concentration while attending GCC next fall.

Mark Jagord
GCC Sports Information

Press Release:

With potential high temperatures, we want to be sure you understand summer heat dangers. Please be aware of the following:

Danger signs for Heat Exhaustion-call the doctor if any of these symptoms arise:

heavy sweating paleness muscle cramps
tiredness weakness dizziness
headache nausea or vomiting fainting
skin – cool & moist pulse rate – fast & weak breathing – fast & shallow

Danger signs for Heat Stroke – needing immediate medical attention:

• extremely high body temperature (above 103 degrees F)
• red, hot and dry skin (no sweating)
• rapid strong pulse
• throbbing headache
• dizziness and nausea

To protect oneself from heat-related stress and prevent heat-related problems, the CDC recommends the following tips:

• Drink cool, nonalcoholic beverages (If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink when the weather is hot. Also, avoid extremely cold liquids because they can cause cramps.)
• Rest.
• Take a cool shower, bath or sponge bath.
• If possible, seek an air- conditioned environment. (If you don’t have air conditioning, consider visiting an air-conditioned shopping mall, public library to cool off).
• Wear lightweight clothing.
• If possible, remain indoors in the heat of the day.
• Do not engage in strenuous activities.

The Office for the Aging is air-conditioned and is open to any older adult, age 60 and over. Come and cool off in the Senior Center lobby, TV room, and/or activity rooms.

Press Release:

Incident Description: The Attica Police Department has received a report of a Black Bear in the Village of Attica. At about 04:00 am Friday, June 29, 2018 a motorist on West Main Street, State Route 354 sited a Black Bear in the roadway. The motorist believed it to be a very large dog however as he slowed he realized it was a bear. The bear was reported in the area of Bunnell Street and West Main Street and described as a younger adult.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation web site https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals if you encounter a bear do the following:

Never approach, surround or corner a bear – Bears aggressively defend themselves if threatened.
Use Noise to Scare away Bears – yell, clap, or bang pots immediately upon siting the bear.
Never Run from a Bear – stay calm, speak in a loud and calm voice, slowly back away.
Do Not Throw any objects at an approaching Bear. Once the bear leaves, remove all attractants such as bird seed, garbage and pet food.

Bears eat nearly anything – they are omnivorous.
Bears are curious – they spend a great deal of time exploring for food.
Bears are intelligent – they learn from experience. If an activity results in food, they will repeat that activity. It is illegal in New York State to feed bears.

Keep all small animals indoors or chaperoned if let outside for the time being. If you see or encounter a bear contact the Attica Police Department at 585-591-0881 or the Wyoming County Sheriff Office at 585-786-2255. DEC pamphlet’s concerning bear encounters can be obtained at the Village Office located at 9 Water Street or the Police Department located at 43 Exchange Street.

Dean R. Hendershott
Chief of Police

Budget cuts being dealt with at Notre Dame High School in Batavia.
Notre Dame Principal Wade Bianco has said after the school lost their Catholic diocesan subsidy, 10 percent of its annual budget has essentially been eliminated.
Bianco said the news came in a latter earlier this year…

He sent the message out to parents with student report cards earlier this week and in the meantime has made necessary moves to restructure staffing and other spending decisions that have the least impact on student opportunities.
Bianco said school administrators were first looking for staff who would volunteer to retire or drop down to part time …

Bianco added that the school is close to addressing all of the $125,000 lost in the cuts with their current budget plan.
Student parents are starting a grassroots campaign to keep the Niagara Catholic Junior-Senior High School open.
After news of the lost funds earlier this week, officials said the doors would be closed.
Work is now underway to help the more than 120 students affected by the closure find a new place to learn.

County Development Center seeking a new communications director.
Following Rachel Tabelski’s recent appointment as Director of the Batavia Development Corporation the Genesee County Economic Development Center is conducting a search to hire a new director of marketing and communications.
Tabelski held the position for seven years.
Interested applicants must respond by July 12.
A job listing has been posted on www.gcedc.com.

If you’re one of the millions of people hitting the road this holiday weekend, get ready to pay more at the pump.
According to Triple A, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas in the Rochester area is two-96 and in the Buffalo area it is three dollars.
That’s between 60 and 65 cents more than the same time last year.
The state average is sitting at three-01.
Gas prices have been rising recently due to increased oil prices.

GLOW region going under an intense Heat advisory for the weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued the advisory starting Saturday at noon until Monday at 10 p.m.
With temps expected to be as high as 102 on Saturday and 107 Sunday and Monday the heat and humidity may pose a greater risk for people with heart and respiratory conditions

Press Release:

The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) is conducting a search to hire a new director of marketing and communications. The position was recently vacated when it was announced that the current director, Rachel Tabelski will become the next Director of the Batavia Development Corporation.

The Director of Marketing and Communications is responsible for the development, implementation and management of marketing and communications plans and activities in support of the GCEDC’s mission. Among the responsibilities include, but are not limited to: development, implementation and management of the organization’s marketing collaterals; media and public relations; management of web site, social media and customer communications; sales support; and, public policy engagement.

“The position has really evolved over the last few years under Rachel as the person we are seeking to hire will have a number of responsibilities as the role touches all aspects of the operations of our agency,” said Steve Hyde, GCEDC President and CEO. “It is a dynamic and a critically important role as our region continues to attract interest among national and international site selectors, but also keeping in mind that we have many local and regional companies seeking to grow and expand here and we need to make sure our marketing and communications are aligned for both.”

Those interested in applying for the position must respond by July 12, 2018. A job listing has been posted on the GCEDC website at www.gcedc.com.

Notre Dame High School in Batavia has started to restructure staffing and services after losing around $125,000 or 10 percent of its annual budget following the elimination of their Catholic diocesan subsidy.

Notre Dame Principal Wade Bianco said the school received notice of the cuts in a letter from the financial director for the WNY diocese on April 30th.

The school informed parents of the cuts in a letter sent out with student report cards.

Bianco said he had tri-fold approach to addressing the cuts with the least impact on students…

He said subsequent to the news of the budget cuts, he and his administrators have approached the issue as an opportunity to reduce spending where it is felt the least and to grow the programming with a leaner approach…

Bianco cited a handful of savings to the school including merging two academic advisor positions, as one member was heading into retirement along with smarter staffing in the library and tweaking the maintenance staff hours.

The news was felt much harder at a Catholic High School in Niagara Falls as it has announced its immediate closure following the loss of its subsidy.

Press Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Chris Collins (NY-27) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today introduced the Denying Chinese Investors Access to U.S. Small Business Aid, a bill that would prevent businesses owned by citizens of the People’s Republic of China from accessing all assistance offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

“The SBA exists to help Main Street America grow and flourish, not to aid companies whose profits go to China,” said Collins. “This is a common-sense reform that provides a greater check on where taxpayer dollars are going, because they certainly should not be going to China. SBA programs should focus on helping small business owners in communities like Western New York, and I am proud to join with Senator Rubio to advance this important legislation.”

“Chinese companies are abusing our current system to exploit American small business programs, which are taxpayer subsidized and were created to help spur American ingenuity and boost small businesses,” said Rubio. “This bill will ensure that our tax dollars aren’t going overseas to China, our biggest economic competitor.”

Current law permits SBA to provide assistance to qualifying small businesses who legally operate in the United States, allowing Chinese-owned businesses to obtain a federally guaranteed loan, surety bond, research and development grant, or disaster loan, among other SBA programs.

The Denying Chinese Investors Access to U.S. Small Business Aid would prohibit SBA benefits from being awarded to businesses headquartered in China. Under this bill, those China based businesses with operations in the United States or those with at least 25 percent of their voting stock owned by Chinese investors will no longer be able to benefit.

Press Release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today condemned the Cuomo administration’s recent announcement that more taxpayer-funded resources across a wide array of departments will be available to illegal immigrants in New York state. The announcement is another staple in Gov. Cuomo’s recent history of sparring with the federal government on a host of policy issues.

“While I believe it is always the best policy to keep families together, I am concerned about continual use of taxpayer-funded resources being dolled out by the Cuomo administration to individuals here illegally,” Hawley said. “Instead of state leaders engaging in useless political quarreling and grandstanding we should be using those resources to better empower Child Protective Services and the Department of Social Services to protect the needy and less fortunate children that have already suffered in our state.”

Gov. Cuomo has recently called himself “undocumented” in recent weeks and boasted about the success of his signature Liberty Defense Project, a multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded program, signed into law last year, which offers legal defense and counsel for illegals facing deportation.

“Our state agencies and departments are already working at full capacity to help law-abiding citizens and to think Gov. Cuomo is pushing them to the wayside to help illegals is deeply regrettable,” Hawley continued. “We need to end the billions of dollars in unnecessary expenses forced upon local governments so agencies working at the local level can realize more resources to care for our children. The priorities of this administration are extremely out of control and continue to endanger middle-class New York by the day.”

Redfield community practicing patience with Pillar repairs.
Pricey Repairs to the Redfield Pillars will be considered for next years’ budget.
A request to fund repair the Redfield pillars was again raised during Monday night’s Council meeting.
The project which is being considered as a capital expenditure for 2019 has a price tag of approximately $60,000.
Councilman Bob Bialkowski says the City should pony up on the repairs…

Council President Jankowski made sure that the topic would be a priority discussion when deciding the city budget for 2019.

Pennsylvania resident jailed after repeatedly lying to law enforcement about his identity.
36 year old Ernest Smith of Philadelphia was taken into custody last night at Darien Lake for Criminal Trespassing and False Personation.
Once Ernest arrived back at the Genesee County Jail he allegedly told officers his name was Calvin Smith the third and forged the same fake name on documentation.
Smith was jailed on charges of Forgery and Falsifying Business Records both in the second degree.
His bail was set at $25,000.

Crash in Pavilion leads to four felony counts under Leandra’s Law.
23 year old Rachael Lochner of Rochester is indicted on four counts of Aggravated DWI a Class E felony.
Lochner allegedly crashed into two fences, two vehicles and a building in the Town of Pavilion in April.
She was found to be intoxicated over twice the legal limit and was allegedly accompanied by four children under the age of 15.
A fifth count was included in the indictment for allegedly having a Blood Alcohol Content of .18 percent or more at the time.

Drunk driving on a Darien Lake sidewalk lands a Stafford man in lock up.
54 year old Carl Altman of Clipnock Road was arrested and charged with Felony DWI’s along with Driving a Motor Vehicle on a Sidewalk for allegedly driving in a densely populated pedestrian area of the Darien Lake Theme Park.
He was jailed in lieu of $2,500 bail and is expected back in Darien Town Court on July 19th.

Collaboration coming together for a teen center in the city.
The United Way, City Youth Bureau, and the YMCA are coming together to create Teen City a designated teen center for Genesee County.
Erik Fix the Executive Director for United Way is looking to open the center this fall…

United Way of Genesee County supported 20 non-profit agencies this past year allocating $225,000.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, along with City of Batavia and the Village of LeRoy Police Departments will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving for the upcoming Independence Day weekend.
The Fourth of July extended weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving.
The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on Wednesday July 4th and will end on Sunday July 8th.

Trumbull Parkway may be subject to paving operations today.
Trumbull is scheduled to be closed to all traffic today from 7am to 5pm for cold milling the paving work between East Main and East Ave.
As usual as with paving operations the work is weather dependent.

Batavia’s Notre Dame High is losing 10 percent of its budget with the elimination of diocesan subsidy.

Notre Principal Wade Bianco told WKBW-TV that the annual Catholic Decease subsidy for Notre Dame is about $125,000.

Bianco said the school was informed of the cut in April.

He said the school will be forced to cut cafeteria and staff hours to make up the shortfall.
Notre Dame High School is an independent school and not owned by the Catholic Diocese of Western New York.
The school did however receive an annual subsidy which now, apparently, has been cut off.

One Catholic High School is Niagara Falls has announced that the loss of its subsidy will result in the immediate closure of the school.

The Batavia City Council has delayed any action on the repair of the Redfield Parkway pillars until the 2019 budget.
The city has one estimate of $60,000 to repair the brick pillars that have marked the Main Street entrance to refiled Parkway for over a century.
Councilman at-large Bob Bialkowski thinks the work should be done now

Bob Bialkowski

The Interim City Manager has been directed to make the project a priority discussion for next year’s budget.

A Stafford man is suspected of driving drunk on a Darien Lake sidewalk.
54 year old Carl Altman of Clipnock Road is facing a felony DWI for allegedly driving in a densely populated pedestrian area of the theme park.
Altman was jailed in lieu of $2,500.

Erik Fix

Genesee County is moving closer to having a designated teen center.
Teen City is the chosen name. It is a collaboration among the United Way, City Youth Bureau, and the YMCA.
United way Executive Director Erik Fix hopes it will open this fall

This past year the united Way of Genesee County supported 20 non-profit agencies with allocations totaling $225,000.

This note for motorists who use Trumbull Parkway.
Trumbull will be closed to all traffic tomorrow between East Main and east Ave.
Crews will be cold milling the pavement from 7am to 5pm.
The work is dependent on good weather.

Rainy weather has moved the first concert of the season for the Batavia Concert Band.
Tonight’s performance has been moved from Centennial Park to the Steiner Theatre on the GCC Batavia campus.
Showtime is 7 p.m.

The Genesee County 4-H Program is seeking volunteer judges for the following events at this year’s Genesee County Fair:

Kennedy Building Exhibits, Sunday July 15 from Noon until 5:00pm. Help us judge youth exhibits in following categories: Horticulture, Creative Writing, Baked Goods, Sewing and more!

4-H Livestock Costume Contest – Friday, July 20 at 10AM. 4-H’ers will be dressing their project animals up in fun costumes & accessories; help us decide who is the most creative, most humorous, has the best craftsmanship, the best team, and overall champion!

Interested in helping? Contact Brandie or Jessica for more details. 585-343-3040 or email

Genesee County STOP DWI Coordinator Matt Landers announced today that the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, City of Batavia Police Department and the Village of LeRoy Police Department will participate in a special enforcement effort to crackdown on impaired driving.

The statewide STOP-DWI Crackdown efforts start on July 4th and will end on July 8th. The Fourth of July extended weekend is historically a deadly period for impaired driving. This year the 4th of July falls on a Wednesday so we expect heavy traveling to begin on Wednesday, July 4th and festivities to begin on July 4th and run through Sunday, July 8th .

Americans love to celebrate the Fourth of July with family, friends, food and fireworks, but all too often the festivities turn tragic on the nation’s roads. The fact is this iconic American holiday is also one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to drunk-driving crashes.

Research shows that high-visibility enforcement can reduce drunk driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. Sobriety checkpoints play a key part in raising awareness about the problem. The New York State Police, County Sheriff and municipal law enforcement agencies will collaborate across the state and will be out in force in this coordinated effort to aggressively target those who put lives in danger.

Press Release:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court released its opinion on Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a big win for government workers who, for far too long, have been forced to pay union fees in support of causes they are fundamentally against. Forcing an individual to join a political organization or government union goes against one of the greatest freedoms we are granted as Americans, the right to free speech. Any violation of the First Amendment is counter to the values our nation was founded upon and I applaud today’s monumental decision.”

The first summer performance for the Batavia Concert Band is being moved from Centennial Park in Batavia due to the weather.

The band will perform indoors at the Stuart Steiner Theater on the GCC Batavia campus.  The first downbeat is slated for 7 p.m. this evening.

Press Release:

WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker Paul Ryan (WI-01) today signed legislation authored by Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) that will collect data regarding cancer incidence in firefighters to better inform the development of new protocols, safeguards, and equipment to protect these men and women. When signed into law, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will develop and maintain a registry to collect data regarding the incidence of certain cancers in firefighters. The registry will improve collection capabilities and activities to address an enormous gap in research on the heath impacts of cancer incidence among all firefighters – career and volunteer.

The Firefighter Cancer Registry Act unanimously passed the House on September 12, 2017 and passed the Senate on May 10, 2018 with one amendment making technical corrections. On June 22, 2018 the amended version passed the House under unanimous consent and will head to President Trump for signature.

For more information on H.R. 931, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act, click here.

Pillars in 1912, when Redfield Parkway was first founded by Charles A. Williams and his then-partner, David Garrett. (Photo provided by Jim Owen and archived by The Batavian)

Local Law Enforcement’s request for an M-RAP moves along as Redfield Pillars repair remains on the table at council meeting.
City police made another pitch for applying for a decommissioned military-surplus armored personnel carrier, which was warmly received by members of City Council at their most recent conference meeting.
The city’s Emergency Response Team, formed in 1997, could use the vehicle in various emergencies around the county according to Police Chief Shawn Heubusch.
A 2010 Ford Cube van which is not four-wheel drive, is not a rescue vehicle, and offers no ballistic protection is the current transport vehicle for the ERT team.
a Lenco Bearcat, which is a purpose-made armored rescue vehicle for law enforcement could cost anywhere from $195,000 to $255,000 according to ERT commander Sargent Chris Camp.
Council is expected to approve an application from the city for the Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected vehicle of M-RAP which would be acquired freely from the military and require upgrades costing between $7,000 and $12,000.
The Sheriff’s Office said they would split the costs of the vehicle however the Legislature would need to approve the expense.
For more on the story check the article by our news partner The Batavian.

Council was also asked to consider setting aside money to repair the Redfield pillars during Monday night’s Council meeting.
The project would likely be a capital expenditure if it is included as part of the 2019 budget.
It’s expected to cost around $60,000.
Councilman Bob Bialkowski was adamant about keeping the issue on the table…

Interim City Manager Matt Worth was told to keep the item on the table for discussion as a priority issue for the 2019 budget by Council President Jankowski.
More on the story with our news partner The Batavian.

Muckdogs complete their first sweep of the season over State College, beating the Spikes 4-3
Voice of the Muckdogs Andy Helwig…

The Muckdogs next home game is against Auburn this Thursday night at Dwyer Stadium beginning with the first pitch at 7:05. You can hear the game live here on WBTA.

The Genesee County RTS bus system has cashed in big from New York State.
The local bus system has been approved for a $3.5 million grant to build a new bus garage and maintenance facility for RTS Genesee.
The grant will also pay for three new buses.
RTS Genesee Officials have yet to provide further details on the project.

Assemblyman Joe Morelle is one step closer toward heading to Capitol Hill.
He beat three other Democrats yesterday in the race for that party’s 25th Congressional District nomination.
The victory means Morelle will take on Republican candidate Doctor James Maxwell in November.
The district’s seat is open following the death of longtime Congresswoman Louise Slaughter earlier this year.

The Genesee County RTS bus system has cashed in big from New York State.
The local bus system has been approved for a 3 and a half million dollar grant to build a new bus garage and maintenance facility for RTS Genesee.
The grant will also pay for three new buses.
Officials with RTS Genesee have been unavailable to provide details

Voters are heading to the polls today to decide the Democratic Party’s nominee in the race for the 25th Congressional District.
There are four candidates battling it out for that spot. Whoever wins gets to take on Republican James Maxwell in November.
The district’s seat is open following the death of longtime Congresswoman Louise Slaughter earlier this year.

State Police in Warsaw are taking another look at the 38 year old missing person case of James Dean Knox.
Knox was on medical leave from Leroy Machine Company before his grandmother reported him missing in December 1979.
Anyone with may have information is encouraged to contact Investigators with the New York State Police in Warsaw.
We have pictures of Knox and a complete description HERE

The Batavia Concert Band ready to make music again in Centennial Park. The first concert of the 93rd season is scheduled for this Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
The forecast is calling for some rain. Iif the concert has to move in doors it will be held at the GCC Steiner Theatre. An announcement will be made on WBTA.

The Batavia Muckdogs hope to make a sweep of their three game series against the State College Spikes.
The Dogs took the second game of the series last night 4 to 3.
The final game of the series is tonight in State College. The Muckdogs next home game is this Thursday night at Dwyer Stadium.

Press Release:

Cold Case Tuesday: New York State Police in Warsaw continue to investigate the 38-year-old missing person case of James Dean Knox.

On December 21, 1979, the grandmother of James Dean Knox reported him missing. She reported she last saw him at her home in South Warsaw on December 9, 1979.

Further investigation by the New York State Police revealed Knox had been seen by friends, associates and local business people in the village of Warsaw on December 10 and 11, before his sudden disappearance.

At the time of his disappearance, Knox was residing at 35 Wyoming Street, Warsaw, NY and on medical leave from Leroy Machine Co., in Leroy, NY. Knox was known to frequent a local pizzeria in the Village of Warsaw.

Knox is described as a white male, 5’11” tall, 150 pounds, dark blonde hair, blue eyes and wears eyeglasses. Knox was 24 years old at the time of his disappearance.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Investigator John Neeley of the New York State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Warsaw by calling 585-786-7244. Please refer to case # 3029766.

Press Release:

Mr. Victor Roberts, Veterans Benefits Advisor, NYS Division of Veterans’ Affairs, will be at the Downtown Batavia Public Market (Bank Street & Alva Place) on Friday, July 6th, 9:00AM – 2:00PM, to distribute NYS FreshConnect Checks to local Veterans. FreshConnect Veterans Checks are a component of Governor Cuomo’s “New York Fresh Connect Farmers’ Markets” (FreshConnect) program. The program is designed to assist New York farmers by increasing the sale of locally-grown food in communities.

FreshConnect checks will be issued as a one-time annual benefit: 10 – $2.00 checks ($20.00) – one packet per household, per season. Checks will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis to the first 100 Veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, current members of the Armed Forces, members of their immediate families, or un-remarried surviving spouses.

“Recipients will not require ID”, says Mr. Roberts, “but they will need to sign a form accepting the program’s rules and regulations.”

“The checks can be used to purchase fresh produce from participating vendors at the Market”, says Market Manager Mike Bakos. “The Market is excited to, once again, be a distribution point for FreshConnect Veterans Checks and we thank all veterans for their service.”

Genesee Country Farmers’ Market
Located at the Downtown Batavia Public Market
Bank Street & Alva Place, Batavia, NY
Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays, 9:00AM to 4:00PM, Mid-June thru October
P.O. Box 303, Gasport, NY 14067 (716) 560-0853

Press Release:

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen Chris Collins (NY-27) applauded the House passage of a package of bills that take action to fight the opioid epidemic, including the passage of H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act. The SUPPORT Act includes dozens of bills that passed the House over the past two weeks, in addition to the base text which includes provisions that previously passed the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees.

“Throughout the past two weeks, the House has been devoted to the thousands of Americans struggling with addiction, their families, and our communities in our work to end this deadly crisis,” said Collins. “Serving on the Energy and Commerce Committee, we have put an enormous amount of time and effort into studying addiction, listening to struggling families, reviewing the supply chain, and immersing ourselves into the communities that have been ravaged by this crisis. It was a heart-wrenching process, but we came up with common-sense, bipartisan solutions that will save lives.”

The opioid epidemic is claiming more than 115 lives each day, destroying families in communities across the nation. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Collins helped craft a legislative package that would address the many issues that have led to this crisis and would implement solutions to end this epidemic.

Starting in October 2017, the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee pursued an aggressive timeline to produce this legislation prior to Memorial Day. In May, 57 bills were advanced to the House of Representatives which have passed the House throughout the past two weeks. Collins worked with colleagues across-the-aisle to co-author several pieces of legislation.

Collins joined fellow New Yorker, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries in introducing the Synthetic Drug Awareness Act of 2017 that would require the Surgeon General to report to Congress the public health effects of the rise of synthetic drug use by 12 to 18-year-olds. Currently, Congress does not have sufficient information to craft the unique types of public health and law enforcement approaches that could save our nation’s children from these dangerous substances.

Collins also introduced the Eliminating Opioid Related Infectious Diseases Act of 2018 with Congressman Leonard Lance, Congressman Joseph Kennedy, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Congressman Joe Barton, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui that focuses specifically on how the opioid epidemic has contributed to an increase in infectious diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. Increased monitoring and education will lead to a better understanding of the impacts that this crisis is having on public health.

Building on the efforts of the Medicaid DRUG Improvement Act, Collins introduced an amendment with Congressman Scott Peters and Congressman Peter Welch that would require states to identify and address inappropriate prescribing and billing practices under Medicaid. States are currently authorized to implement prescription drug monitoring activities through their prescription drug monitoring programs and claims data, but not all states have adopted such activities.

In addition to working with the Energy and Commerce Committee, Collins worked with the Committee on Ways and Means and Congressman Tom MacArthur on introducing the Stop Excessive Narcotics in Our Retirement (SENIOR) Communities Protection Act. The SENIOR Communities Protection Act allows Medicare Advantage Part D plans to suspend payments to a provider or supplier pending an investigation of a credible allegation of fraud or abuse, as determined by the Inspector General. This legislation will help in preventing future “pill mills” from occurring.

Finally, Collins introduced legislation with Congressman Eric Paulson, Congressman Ron Kind, and Congressman Connor Lamb that would require Medicare to send an annual notice to Part D patients about the adverse effects associated with prolonged opioid use. By improving awareness and education, the Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees (CHOICE) Act will help patients be more inclined to watch for the warning signs of addiction and be more informed to talk with their doctors on their options for pain management.

Collins added: “In every community across our nation we have brokenhearted families, which is why we need immediate action. I’m thankful for President Trump’s dedication to this issue and urge the Senate to get these important bills on his desk.”

For more information on legislation to combat the opioid crisis, click here.

Five women facing charges, accused of fighting on Watson Street in Batavia.
According to City Police five local women are facing various charges for rioting and attempted assault.
An alleged June 12th altercation on Watson Street in Batavia has led to the charges according to authorities.
They five women apprehended have been identified as 47 year old Angela Flowers, of Watson St.
33 year old Tanisha Gibson and 28 year old Katrina Drake, both of Wood St.
31 year old Lakeisha Gibson of West Main Street Rd and 28 year old Patricia Gibson of East Main.
All five females are expected to appear today in Batavia City Court.

Scammers pulling heart strings and purse strings in Attica.
Attica Police say elderly village residents were advised over the phone that a grandchild had been seriously injured in a car accident and the scammers reportedly impersonate the grandchild begging for money to be treated.
Scammers ask for thousands of dollars’ worth in various gift cards and for the victims to provide the serial numbers.
Lawmen say regardless of pay that hospitals cannot delay life threatening treatment and to never purchase gift cards, pre-paid credit cards or give any banking information over the phone to anyone.

19 arrested at Zac Brown Band concert.
Sunday night’s concert at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center ended with 2 in lock up and 17 with future appearance tickets.
Most of the arrests were for attempting to re-enter after being ejected.
One woman from Florida and another from Maryland were the only two to be jailed in lieu of bail.

Muckdogs win pitchers’ duel and look for series sweep tonight.
For their first back-to-back wins of the season against the State College Spikes, the Monday night match-up maintained a zero to zero score until the eighth inning. Voice of the Muckdogs Andy Helwig…

Batavia held the lead with a final score of 4 to 3 and the team looks to get their first sweep of the season with their final matchup of the series against State College tonight.
Batavia returns home Thursday for the start of a three game series against Auburn. You can hear Thursday night’s home game here on WBTA.

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly is back out on the football field.
He joined kids at his annual football camp yesterday, days after surgery following his latest fight with oral cancer.
Kelly says while he’s sore, he never doubted he would be able to make an appearance at his camp.
He also says more surgeries are scheduled in the coming months.

Paving work on Trumbull Parkway picks up this week.
This Thursday Trumbull Parkway will be closed to all through traffic for milling the road surface.
The work is weather dependent.

Batavia police announce today the arrest of five local women on charges of rioting and attempted assault.
The charges stem from a fracas on Watson Street in the city back on June 12.
They have been identified as: 47 year old Angela Flowers, of Watson St.;
33 year old Tanisha Gibson and 28 year old Katrina Drake, both of Wood St.; 31 year old Lakeisha Gibson of West Main Street Rd and 28 year old Patricia Gibson of East Main.
All five are due in Batavia City Court tomorrow.

Richard McKague of Main Street Rd. is behind county bars this afternoon charged with hurling a beer bottle at another person during a domestic incident. Deputies say the 28 year old McKague had violated a court order of protection and has a history Criminal Contempt. He’s been jailed on 25-thousand dollars bail.

19 people arrested at the Zac Brown Darien Lake Concert.
Most were charged with trying to re-enter the concert venue yesterday after being ejected.
Two women were jailed in lieu of bail, the rest were given court appearance tickets.

Motorists who use Trumbull Parkway this one is for you.
The city has announced that Trumbull Parkway will be closed to all through traffic this Thursday for milling the road surface.
The work is weather dependent.

The Muckdogs will try for two wins in a row tonight on the road.
The Dogs beat the State College Spikes yesterday 8 to 6.
The same two teams meet this evening, 7:05 p.m.
The game can be heard through the Muckdogs website.

News Release: City of Batavia, Bureau of Maintenance

On Thursday, June 28th, 2018 Trumbull Parkway (between East Main Street and East Avenue) in
the City of Batavia will be closed to all through traffic.
This closure is expected to be between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM in order to perform cold milling the roadway surface of Trumbull Parkway.

All motorist that regularly use Trumbull Parkway are asked to seek alternative routes while the closures
are in place. Businesses and Residents within the area of the closure should anticipate delays, but we
will do our best to accommodate getting you to and from you residence or place of business.

This work is weather dependent and subject to rescheduling if it rains.

Contact the Bureau of Maintenance and ask to speak to the Streets Supervisor or Superintendent at
585-345-6400 opt. 1 if you have any questions.

News Release: Attica Police Dept.

Recently Village Residents have been contacted by scammers seeking to defraud them of thousands of dollars.

Scammers contacted an elderly village resident and advised them a grandchild had been seriously injured in a car accident. Scammers then proceeded to place a younger adult on the phone impersonating the grandchild begging for money to be treated. Scammers then again came on the line and told the elderly resident to go and obtain amounts, ranging from several thousand dollars to hundreds of dollars, in gift cards and to call the scammers back with the serial numbers from the cards. When interviewing the victim, the victim reported the younger person sounded extremely similar to the victim’s grandchild. In the United States, hospitals cannot delay life threatening treatment, due to the patient can not immediately pay for treatment. The victim then asked to talk to their grandchild again and the scammer disconnected the line.

This is not the first occasion scammers have used this to steal money from elderly people. However, they utilize compassion and very convincing facts to scare the elderly family members into believe the grandchild is in direr straights. A very similar scam used is one in which the scammer’s call family members and lead them to believe the grandchild or younger adult has been arrested on false charges in a location far away and need either bail money or money for an attorney.

If this occurs contact your nearest law enforcement agency and report this. ALWAYS, if you receive a similar phone call, contact family members and VERIFY the incident and NEVER purchase gift cards, pre-paid credit cards or give any banking information over the phone to anyone. Once the scammers have your information or the codes from the cards there is very little chance of you recovering any of the money. If you have any questions on how to deal with any suspected scams, again, contact your local law enforcement and ASK QUESTIONS.

Sample of GCC’s award winning Open House postcard series and Cougar flyer

Press Release:

The work of a team of professionals from both Genesee Community College’s Admissions and Enrollment Services offices and Forest Productions and Photography, Inc. of Buffalo, was recently recognized by two well-known organizations for several recruitment initiatives. The College’s 360 Degree Virtual Tour Video received a bronze Telly Award in the Craft Virtual Reality/360 Online Category, and also a “gold” Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR). Additionally, a series of GCC admissions materials won two “silver” placements from NCMPR’s Paragon Awards.

Developing the unique virtual tour of GCC involved a multi-talented team to create the nearly 10-minute video that allows viewers to actively engage and control their campus tour. Narrated by Val Bello, GCC’s associate professor of Communication and Media Arts (and also a DJ at MIX96 radio station in Buffalo), the tour covers all major facets of student life-from the many academic programs to student clubs, College Village to the Child Care Center, athletic teams to Campus Centers, and much more. The tour also works interactively on all types and sizes of digital platforms.

The GCC team that created the award-winning 360 virtual tour was led by Rebecca Green, recruitment communications specialist who served as GCC’s in-house producer by coordinating the many facets of the incredibly complex project which took about a year to complete. She worked closely with Michael and Christina Mandolfo of Forest Productions, who produced and directed all of the script writing, photography, video, editing and production. Overseeing the project were Tanya Lane-Martin, now GCC’s associate dean of Student Support Services but was the dean of Admissions during the project and Dr. Virginia (Ginny) Taylor, who was the vice president for Student and Enrollment Services during the project. The GCC admissions staff also provide essential support on the project, specifically Tom Kinsey, reporting analyst, Theresa Gorecki, Career Services specialist, and Kelly Stone, clerk-typist.

“We have worked with Forest Productions for many years and on many projects. It was exciting to collaborate with them again for our online virtual tour,” Tanya Lane-Martin said. “The 360 degree virtual view of our campus was innovative and masterfully executed. We appreciate their artistic and creative vision that now illustrates our campus so beautifully. Additionally, we are very grateful to a host of students and faculty members who rallied behind this massive project and helped make it happen.”

To view GCC’s award-winning 360 Virtual Tour video, go to: https://www.genesee.edu/home/offices/admissions/virtual-tour/

Established in 1979, the Telly Awards are internationally known as the premier prize-honoring video and television platform across all screens. This past year more than 12,000 entries were received from all 50 states and five continents. Entrants are judged by the Telly Awards Judging Council, an industry body of over 200 leading experts including advertising agencies, production companies and major television networks reflecting today’s multiscreen industry. The Telly’s recently restructured some categories to recognize the type of work being created today. Among them: branded content, social video, animation and technology that now plays a key role in the ways stories are being communicated, including categories in Virtual Reality, Interactive and 360 Video.

This is the second Telly Award that Forest Productions received on behalf of projects produced for GCC. The first award was for a Financial Aid video produced in 2014. The complete list of this year’s Telly Award winners is available at https://www.tellyawards.com/winners.

The NCMPR formed the Paragon Awards to recognize outstanding achievement in design and communication at community and technical colleges. It is the only national competition that honors excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at two year colleges. This year, the Paragon Awards included 53 categories and the competition drew 1,943 entries from 243 colleges across the United States. The complete list of Paragon Award Winners is available at https://www.ncmpr.org/cp/uploads/17_Paragons-WinnersFlierFNL2.pdf.

The winning GCC projects promoted the Fall 2017 Open Houses. With Forest Productions directing the photography and art direction, a series of fun, colorful postcards featured specially created cookies decorated with headlines and graphics “A Taste of GCC,” “You’re one smart cookie,” and “We’re the sweetest campus around.” These were developed and designed by Rebecca Green. Green also created a flyer series that included a dynamic new illustration of the updated GCC cougar mascot

Batavia man behind bars after violently hurling a beer bottle at victim.
Deputies were called for report of a domestic incident at a West Main Street Road residence where a victim was struck and injured by a beer bottle.
28 year old Richard McKague Jr. of Main Street Road Batavia was accused of chucking the glass beverage container at the victim after allegedly violating a court order of protection.
The incident was reported Saturday afternoon.
He is now facing a felony charge of Criminal Contempt along with an Aggravated Family Offense, Attempted Assault and Acting in a Manor injurious to a Child.
McKague was committed to the Genesee County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail

Accident in Alexander leads to charges for a young woman.
Following investigation into a single motor vehicle crash on Route 20 in Alexander Sunday Genesee County Deputies arrested 19 year old Samantha Wade.
Wade was accused of leaving the scene of a property damage accident after she apparently crashed her four-door sedan into two street signs and a telephone pole.
She is facing additional vehicle and traffic law violations and other charges are currently pending.
Wade is expected to appear in Alexander Town Court at a later date.

The Monroe County Legislature will meet tonight to discuss raising the legal age for making tobacco purchases.
Right now, it’s 18-years-old, but some legislators want to increase it to 21.
Supporters say the hope is to make it harder for people to start using tobacco products, which would improve their long-term health.
Tonight’s meeting is at the county office building.

The Muckdogs win while away.
The Batavia Muckdogs emerged victorious over the State College Spikes yesterday evening with a final score of 8 to 6.
The Muckdogs improve to a 4 and 5 record, while the Spikes drop to 3 and 7.
The team looks to win back-to-back games for the first time this season with their 7:05 matchup tonight at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The Muckdogs will be back in Dwyer Stadium in Batavia for the first game of three against Auburn this Thursday.

Congratulations to the graduates of 2018.
Class of 20-18 graduates at most of the major school districts in the area walked the stage at their respective commencement ceremonies over the weekend. At many schools the ceremonies also served as a remembrance to students lost this year due to illness, or accidents.

“Sneaky Weasel” featured players (l-r) Grace DiQuattro, Joel Lamb, Simone Scharvogel (as Sneaky), Megan Jarkeiwicz, and Katherine Rogoyski.

Press Release:

Bergen, NY ~ On June 19, the Byron-Bergen learning community and the community at-large were treated to a special stage adaptation of “Sneaky Weasel,” a children’s book by author Hannah Shaw, performed by fourth-graders. The show featured the talents of the entire class working together as actors, assistant directors, narrators, dancers, stage crew and scenery designers, sound effects artists, and costume designers. The story centered on an unhappy bully, Sneaky Weasel, who finally discovers how to be a friend.

“Our students have been working on the project for several weeks,” said fourth-grade teacher Alyson Tardy, who along with teachers Jenna Carney and Kelly Morriss, wrote the stage play and directed the performance. “They have each contributed their best efforts. It’s been really great seeing students find talents they didn’t know they had, kids stepping up to help each other, and quiet children coming out of their shells to get onstage in front of an audience. The arts are so important for development and this has been a wonderful opportunity for our students to really stretch themselves and shine.”

Mama Weasel (Gianna Graff) with all her weasel-y offspring (Madisyn Rodak, Logan Czachorowski, Madison Hutchings, Sidney Maher, and Connor Copani.)

The cast included narrators plus singing and dancing hedgehogs, rabbits, sheep, rats, mice, shrews, dogs, and even a chicken.

A Batavia drug dealer accused of arson, choking a teenage girl and injecting a dog with poison is facing a five year minimum sentence.
Judge Charles Zambito ruled yesterday afternoon in Genesee County Court that Eddie Lee “Pops” Miles Jr. will serve a minimum of five years in state prison after accepting a “global plea agreement” last month.
Miles admitted to just three felonies included in three recent grand jury indictments.
In August Miles allegedly choked a 17 year old girl while walking her dog then injected the dog with an unknown purple liquid causing the dog to become temporarily unresponsive.
Miles was arrested a few months later for selling crack cocaine to drug task force agents.
Then in January after admittedly becoming intoxicated and fighting with his girlfriend, Miles set fire to a couch in his Washington Ave apartment.
In the incident Miles threatened to shoot police, and displaced other families due to the fire.
Miles was sentenced to 5 to 15 years for Arson and dealing drugs, with two years post-release supervision.
He is expected back in court for sentencing on a count of unauthorized use of a vehicle on Aug. 13th however his sentence will likely run concurrently.
For more on the story check the article by our news partner The Batavian.

Fatal train versus pedestrian collision in Wyoming County claims the life of a Middlebury woman.
Crew members of a westbound train in Middleburry reported a possible deceased subject on the railroad tracks off of Pflaum Road shortly after 2 yesterday morning.
Troopers out of Warsaw responded to the scene around an hour later where they discovered a deceased woman who has been identified as 50 year old Janette Moore of Middlebury.
Further investigation revealed that an eastbound Norfolk Southern Train had reported Thursday night at around 11 o’clock that they had possibly struck a deer or a bear.
Moore was reportedly wearing dark colored clothing during the incident.
Investigation remains ongoing.

Batavia man being held for theft at Walmart in Warsaw.
37 year old Donald Stahl Jr. of North Street has been arrested and charged with counts of Grand larceny, Petit larceny and three counts of conspiracy.
Stahl was initially apprehended in Batavia where he was accused of conspiring with a female suspect to steal property from the Batavia Walmart.
He was turned over to the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly conspiring with others to steal electronic and computer items from the Walmart in Warsaw previously.
Stahl is being held in the Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are pending.

Williamsport evens up three game series with a win over the Muckdogs.
The Muckdogs were bested by the Williamsport Crosscutters last night in their second match of the season with a final score of 9 to 7.
The Muckdogs drop to 3 and 5 on the year.
The third game of the series against the Crosscutters begins tonight at 7:05 and you can hear the game live here on WBTA.